PQ4. Roading—Hamilton to Tauranga Route

[Sitting date: 24 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:4. Text is
subject to correction.]4.BRENDAN HORAN (Brendan Horan) to the
Minister of Finance : Is he still of the
view that a Hamilton to Tauranga route would have to be
considered alongside three other projects? Hon
BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance): If the member
is referring to some comments I made in the Waikato, I told
the Waikato Times it was the Government’s approach
to give long-term commitment to the regions so they have the
security of knowing that there is an infrastructure plan in
place and that there is long-term funding to match those
plans, not just empty promises. I commented that we are
doing a large building programme in Christchurch; Wellington
will see Transmission Gully; in Auckland the largest
project, the Waterview Connection, is well under way; and
the Waikato Expressway is well under way. I also said that
once we get through that programme, which is some years
away, looking out to the mid-2020s is when you would get a
debate about other large projects. I told the newspaper
there is no detailed planning about that yet, but it is good
that people are thinking ahead. Brendan
Horan : Why should anyone believe National Party
talk of plans when 6 long years ago John Key promised to
four-lane the Tauranga central link—3 short
kilometres—and not one dollar has been spent to do that
work? Hon BILL ENGLISH : I cannot
comment in detail on that particular short piece of road,
but I must say as a regular and recent visitor to Tauranga
that the scope of new road building in Tauranga is such that
you start wondering whether it does not exceed the growth in
traffic. Because of the lobbying of local members and
because of some robust analysis, there has been extensive
expenditure in Tauranga. I am sure that if there is anything
else there that warrants serious consideration, it will get
it through the New Zealand Transport Agency process.
Brendan Horan : Has his Government not
taken the people of Tauranga for granted for long enough,
and will he advise the Prime Minister to apologise to the
people of Tauranga tomorrow for this Government’s failure
to fulfil an election promise made 6 long years ago?
Hon BILL ENGLISH : My colleague advises
me that we said we would do it after the four roads of
national significance were completed—four of them—and we
are on track for that. I have noticed in Tauranga, though,
that when the current member was elected, energetic advocacy
for Tauranga rose significantly. It had already been much
improved after Bob was elected, after the previous member,
and with Simon Bridges’ election it has improved even
more, and that accounts for the very substantial investment
that is going on in Tauranga now. But for years before that,
the advocacy was pretty hopeless and not much money was
spent
there

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